Tips to Get Great Sleep this Winter

While more and more people are attempting to get by with less sleep and pack more into their busy lives, the reality is that only 1-in-100 people are clinically ‘short sleepers’ – people who don’t experience any negative effects from sleeping for less than 7 hours.

For everyone else, 7 hours is the absolute minimum you should be aiming for. Sleep is essential for the formation of long-term memory, healing, balancing hormones and cleaning harmful substances from the brain. This all helps to ensure long-term wellbeing and reduce the chance of harmful conditions developing.

So how can you get great sleep every night, wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the challenges ahead in this new year? We’ve created this list of our favourite natural sleep remedies to improve sleep quality.

Valerian Root

Valerian has been used as a medicine since the classical Greek era, helping to promote relaxation and calm the nerves. Although there are over 250 species of Valerian, typically the roots of the Valeriana officinalis species are most widely used.

Numerous studies have shown over the years that Valerian root can help to reduce the amount of time required to fall asleep and improve sleep quality. We’d absolutely recommend it as the first port-of-call in your journey to better sleep, whether as a supplement, tincture or tea.

5-HTP

5-Hydroxytryptophan is a chemical naturally produced by the body from amino acids in food. This is then utilised in the formation of essential neurotransmitters, including serotonin, which is key to regulating mood and sleep.

In studies, low tryptophan levels have been shown to be associated with reduced sleep quality and insomnia. Furthermore, as we age, the body becomes less able to break down tryptophan into 5-HTP. By supplementing with 5-HTP you ensure that your body isn’t deficient and quickly give your body everything it need to manage important mood managing neurotransmitters.

Magnesium

Magnesium is well known to help in the relaxation of muscles, reduction of hypertension and support bone development. However, magnesium is also key to getting great sleep.

GABA (gamma-Aminobutyric acid), a natural neurotransmitter helps brain cells to communicate with each other. If you’re deficient in it, you may struggle to relax before bed. Magnesium supports the response of GABA receptors and helps maintain healthy GABA levels. Along with allowing muscles to relax, magnesium is an all-round great candidate as a sleep supplement.

One of the many tips we see online for restful night sleep is taking a bath and luckily for you, we sell BetterYou Magnesium Flakes Bath Soak. These combine a relaxing bath with the benefits of magnesium.

Melatonin

Melatonin is universally known as ‘the sleep hormone, so it’s no surprise that it’s an incredible supplement to support healthy sleep. It’s excellent for insomnia, but can also be taken when experiencing jet-lag or working nights to adjust the body clock.

Melatonin is effective in very small doses of only a few milligrams, and is the ideal choice for those wanting to try a highly effective supplement which gets right to the heart of the issue.

Although Melatonin is not legal for retail in the UK some food and supplements can help to product Melatonin such as cherries can be extremely beneficial. Some research suggest that drinking cherry juice (such as CherryActive Concentrate) might be active in increasing the amount of melatonin we produce.

Neubria Drift

Neubria Drift is expertly formulated to aid in your sleep through a variety of mechanisms. Including lemon balm, chamomile, saffron, tryptophan and magnesium, this supplement is the perfect choice for those looking for an all-in-one solution to upgrade their sleep quality.

Anything else?

In addition to supplementation and nutrition, why not explore yoga or meditation to calm the mind and relax the body before bed? How do you relax before bed? We’d love to read your suggestions in the comments below!

More About The Author - Henry Maitland

I've been working in the health and fitness world and have been studying related subjects for over 20 years.
I started out studying sports science and human biology in 1994 and went on to qualify and work as a masseur in 1996 than as a personal trainer in 2001.
I then went on to qualify as a CHEK practitioner and Holistic Lifestyle Coach in 2002. These are both multi stage qualifications and I spent ten years working my way through the more advanced levels and the epic reading lists that go with them. I still have Chek level 4 to look forward to and in the coming years plan to travel to San Diego and finish the journey.
I took a brief break from my studies with the CHEK institute in 2007 to qualify as a St John's certified Neuromuscular Therapist and returned in 2008 and 2009 to complete the level 3 CHEK certifications.
4 years ago I started studying with the four winds institute of energy medicine in America which is formed from the ancient shamanic healing techniques of the South American Q'ero Indians. This combined with the works of David; R Hawkins MD brought together for me the most extraordinary revelation as to dynamics of true health and wellness.
I continue to read and study on my own path guided by those that I have studied with previously as I continue my research in to the many subjects that form the health equation.
I have been running my own business, Core Evolution, for the last 12 years. I spend the majority of my time taking people through advanced holistic rehabilitation programmes and work on all areas of the Evolution Cycle of health (although not at the same time!)
I very much hope I can share some of what I have discovered with you through the Evolution Organics blog.
In health, chi, and happiness.
Henry Maitland
C.H.E.K practitioner level 3
St Johns Certified Neuromuscular therapist levels 1-8
C.H.E.K HLC level 3
C.H.E.K certified golf biomechanic
ITEC certified Remedial masseur
Shamanic healer - The four winds institute